Arch support



April 9, 1935. A, REARDQN 1,997,118

ARCH SUPPORT Filed Aug. 8, 1933 Patented Apr. 9, 1935 NlTEl) STA Anon SUPPORT V Lewis A. Reardon, Boston, Mass. Application August 8, 1933, Serial No. 684,130 7 .1 6.,Olaims This invention relatesto arch supporting insolesand has particular reference to insoles of the type commonly called slip soles which are used in conjunction with or as a supplement to the usual insole but are not per manently incorporated in the shoe structure.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved arch-supporting slip sole which will be flexible, comfortable, sanitary and readily an;

justable so as to provide proper support forvarious kinds of abnormal foot conditions; To these ends I have provided an arch-supporting slip-sole having the peculiar features" of con structionset forth in the following description,

- the'several novel features of the invention beingthe claims separately pointed out and defined in atthe close thereof.

In the accompanyingdrawing: Figure l is aside elevation of an arch-supporting slip sole constructed inaccordance with my invention;

' Figure 2 is a bottom plan view shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view of the felt filler after described. r I Figure 4 is a bottom plan view showing the flaps of the slip-sole partly opened. I Figure 5 illustrates a modification; The embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figures 11170 4, inclusive, comprises a top member Ill consisting of a piece of thin flexible sheet material such as leather, two'bottom flap members I I andI2 also made from thin flexible sheet material such as leather, and a filler pad I3 which may be a piece of felt or other suitable resilient sheet material. The top member ID is made of a size and shape to fit within the rear portion of a shoe and to extend from the back of the of the slip sole pad hereinheel forwardly through or partly through the shank portion thereof.

The bottom flap member I2 is of approximately the same sizeand shape as the top member ID and is fastened in position against the bottom side of the latter by transverse lines of stitches I4 and I5 and longitudinally disposed stitches IS, the stitches I4 being placed rearwardly away (Cl. 36-71) i l V vide a loose rear flap Ila and a loose "front' nap Hb. r V I The: rear flap I la of member II is formed with a transverse slot IIc which is near the'middle thereof and in the neighborhood of the lines of stitches I'I, while the loose flap I2a of member, I2 is; provided-"at its free end with'a tongue I2b. This'tongueis formed by slotting the opposite side portions of flap I2a. as at I2 c, said slots 12c being disposed transversely so as to provide the tongue'lzb with shoulders I2cl. j When the slip sole is prepared for use :the flap I2a'is laid in positio'nontop of the flap I I1) and its tongue IZb'is passed through the slot II c of the flap} a and pulled upon until" its' shoulders I2d pass the slot; IIc. When the, tongue I2!) is fully in position within the slot IIc 'it occupies a position between the heel portion of the top member ID and the flap Ila of the member II, the shoulders I2d ontong'ue IZb serving 'by engagement with the flap I la, to lock said tongue in thatposition; 1V

When the two members II and I2 are laid fiat,' one upon the other, and interlocked as described they; provide atr'ansverse pocket I8 between the opposite ends of the structure which is adapted to receive a resilient filler'pad I9, Fig. '3, which may bemadefrom felt or other suitable material; The' linesof stitches I4 and I! are, as shown in'Fig. 4, disposed relatively oblique so that the pocket I8 tapers from oneside of the structure' to'the opposite side thereof and as shown in Fig. 3 the filler pad '19 tapers correspondingly? This shape facilitates the insertion and withdrawal of the filler pad whilethe flaps are closed and interlocked. I

ss PATENT--0FFlCE L When the above described support is in use" within a shoe the arch of the foot is supported in an elevated position by the relatively" thick intermediate portion of the structure which includes the filler pad IQ, the thin rear laminated end portion being under the heel of the foot while the thin laminated front end portion being under the rear portion of the ball of the foot. It will be understood of course that the top member I8, and the bottom flap member also if desired, may extend into and fit'the forepart of the shoe but this is not essential.

The portion of the structure forwardly from the stitches I4 is formed with through-andthrough perforations 20, while the portion of the top member Ill between the lines of stitches I4 and I1 is also formed with a multiplicity of perforations 2|, the latter serving to ventilate the interior of the pocket I8 and to provide passages through which air is forced into and out of said pocket while the device is in use. The perforations 2| are desirable from a sanitary point of view, while the perforations 20 assist in holding thedevice against displacement while in use. If desired the flap Hb may also be perforated as shown in Fig. 4. V

In Fig. 5 the top sole shaped member H) has fastened to its bottom side, as by transverse lines of stitches Ma and Ila, two flap members 2? and 23 which provide overlapping flaps 22a and 2311, which may be fastened together by means of a snap fastener 24 of ordinary construction where: of one member is carried by the flap 23a and the other member by the flap 22a. When the 'two' flaps of this structure are fastened together they provide a pocket lBa within which'is mounted a filler pad l9.

It will be observed that in each form er m invention the filler pad extends from one side of the slip sole to the opposite side thereof so that it is held against lateral displacementb y the side walls of the shoe within which the device isused, but when the device is removedfrom the shoe, the pad 19 may be removed from its pocket as will be clear,without unfastening the flaps. 'It is intended that one, two or more flller'elements may be inserted in the pocketas may be necessary to meet the requirements of the user. What I claim is: r t 1. 'An arch support comprising a soleshaped top layer. of flexible. sheet rhaterialftwo longitudinal overlapping flap layers of flexible sheet material one of which is permanently fastened transversely adjacent to its rear end to the bottorn fside of said topf layernear one end of the latter only and the other of which is permanent- 1y fastened transversely'adjacent to its forward endfto; the bottom side of said top layer near the opposite end of the latter only, and a .filler Pee m vabl m unt etwe e two o e lapping portions of said flaps and said'top. layer.

A ar h u po cemnri s -s p 9? la r fl xible sh e t r a a d wo. over..- lapping flap layers of flexible sheet material one of which is fastened transversely to the bottom side of'said top layernear one end of; the latter and theother fastened transversely to the bottom side of said top layer near the opposite end of; the latter; a filler pad removably mounted between said overlapping flaps and said top layer, and means for fastening the free end of the lowermostflap its closed position.

- 3, arch support comprising a sole-shaped small ventilating apertures.

top layer of flexible sheet material; two overlapping flap layers of flexible sheet material one of which is fastened at its one end transversely to the bottom side of said top layer near one end of the latter and the other of which is fastened transversely to the bottom side of said top layer between the opposite end of the latter and the attached end of said first-mentioned flap member thereby to provide a third flap adjacent to the heel end of the structure, said third flap being formed transversely with a slot and 'said firstmentioned flap being formed at its free end with shouldered tongue adapted to be threaded "through said slot into a position between said third-flap and said top layer thereby to fasten said first-mentioned flap in its closed position, and a filler pad of resilient material removably mounted within the pocket provided by said two first-mentioned flaps.

4. An arch support constructed in accordance with claim 3 wherein the pocket provided by the two flaps'is open at theopposite sides of the structure so that the resilient pad is held against lateral displacement while the slip sole is in use by the shoe of the wearer.

5. An arch support comprising a sole-shaped top layer of flexible sheet material; two overlapping flap layers" of flexible sheet material one of 'which is fastened. transversely to the bottom side of said top layer near one end of the latter and theotherfastened transversely to the bottom side of said top layer near the opposite end of the latter; afiller pad of resilient material removably mounted within the pocket provided between said overlapping flaps and said top layer, and a snap fastener for separably fastening the lowermost of said two flaps in its closed p.osition.

6. An arch supportcomprising a. sole-shaped top. layer of flexible sheet material; a flap of flex-- ible sheet material fastened at its one end to the bottom of said top layer adjacent to-one end of the latter and a second flap of flexible sheet material fastened at its one end to the bottom of said top layer rearwardly. of said first-mentioned flap, said two flaps being adapted to be overlapped to provide a pocket between the same and said top layer; a filler pad of resilient material removably mounted within said pocket, and means for fastening the free end of the lowermost flap in its closed PQSvition, the portion of said top layer whichv constitutes one side wall of said pocket being formed with a multiplicity of; 

